In the VAs 2010 national survey of veterans, 16 percent of respondents said they use the system as their primary source of health care, while http://alexsimring.wikia.com/ 35 percent said they use it as a safety net and 32 percent indicated they have no plans to use it. ( Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Patient-satisfaction: Despite its recent troubles, the VA health system has earned marks equal to or better than networks in the private sector in the 2013American Customer Satisfaction Index . The health system earned overall satisfaction indexes of 84 for inpatient care and 82 for outpatient services, while the U.S. hospital industry earned scores of 80 and 83 in those categories, respectively. Jacob Gadd, the American Legions deputy director for health care, has said the scores probably reflect pride among veterans that theres a system for them that understands their unique needs. Gadd has also credited the VA with bolstering satisfaction levels through new initiatives such as the networks patient-aligned care teams, which provide personalized care from groups of health professionals that fit patients individual needs. A history of scheduling problems:In 2010, a top VA official issued a memo to the departments medical centers listing 17 schemes that VA clinics were known to be using tocover-up treatment delays. The memo said the practices were inappropriate and would not be tolerated, but whistleblowers claim the actions continued for years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/05/29/key-facts-about-the-veterans-health-administration/

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